Hephaestion Vignettes
by crazyundeadfairy
Summary: A series of glimpses into the lives of Alexander and Hephaestion.
1. The Love of Alexander

**The Love of Alexander**

Hidden away in a dark corner of the hall, Hephaistion's eyes did not stray from Alexander. Sconces flickered on either side of his body, creating shadows on his face and in the area around him. Hephaistion heard his name whispered, fear and awe discernable in the foreign tongues. In Greek there was only resentment. Hephaistion had grown used to such murmurings years ago when he and Alexander were still boys in Pella. When compared to the other boys who had been Alexander's playmates he was no one special. What he was, however, was the only one who would treat Alexander as an equal. The only one who had no qualms about shoving the smaller boy's face into the dust when he proved weaker in a wrestling match. Hephaistion loved him because he was Alexander and not because he was Alexander, son of Phillip.

To love Alexander the man, though, was to know that his heart belonged to many. As much as he knew that Alexander loved him, Hephaistion could make no sole claim to the man's affections. He had to share Alexander with a great many others including the eunuch Bagoas who was at that very moment enticing the fair-haired Macedonian with his sinuous body. Hephaistion did not question that Alexander would spend his night enjoying the pleasures of the Persian eunuch, nor did he begrudge him the comfort Bagoas would offer.

As Hephaistion continued to watch, Alexander lifted his head, scanning the room for something. He was immediately heartened when Alexander's gaze lingered upon him, a slight smile curving the younger man's lips. Moments such as those were the ones that Hephaistion treasured most because while Alexander might be willing to share his body with many others, his heart, the deepest part of his love, belonged to Hephaistion alone.

Even with that knowledge, Hephaistion still felt an ache deep in his chest as he watched Alexander leave the hall trailing after Bagoas.


	2. Ambassador of the Emperor

**Ambassador of the Emperor**

Hephaistion had not needed to look to know that Alexander was approaching. All around him voices died to a murmur and he could feel the heat of Alexander's gaze on the back of his neck. Leaving the horse in the capable hands of one of his squires, Hephaistion slowly turned to face his lover.

As he watched, Alexander's brows knit together, taking in Hephaistion's slightly battered appearance. The blue-eyed general remained silent, minor hurts forgotten as Alexander lifted a hand to touch his fingertips lightly to a scabbed over gash near his left temple.

"Our guide's translation proved to be incorrect and there was a brief scuffle before I was able to convince our host that I had no intention of carting off his daughter," Hephaistion said by way of explanation. "She was quite ugly in any case."

"I will send Bagoas with you next time," Alexander offered, his eyes still fixed on the healing wound. "He speaks both languages fluently."

A smirk tugged at the corners of Hephaistion's lips as he shook his head. "It would be better for the boy to remain with you. He does not have the training or discipline to keep up with my men. Even if he did, I doubt that he would permit anyone to take him from your side. Even me."

"I would order it if I thought it would keep you from harm," Alexander insisted, his hand finally returning to his side.

"And I would leave him behind anyway."

The two men stared at each other, unaware of the others who moved about them. The younger ones who had stopped to watch could not hide their shock. That one of the generals should refuse an order from the king was inconceivable. The older ones were merely amused, taking bets among themselves as to which one would cave to the other's will first. Most bets favoured Hephaistion as the victor.

"You forget, Alexander, that even if there were no language barrier, we are still their conquerors," Hephaistion reminded his beloved friend. "However noble your intentions might be, there will always be those who will not stand for peace of will find oppression where there is none. You cannot conquer that, Alexander, not even with a will as strong as yours."

"Words are easy when you are not the one to give the orders," Alexander sighed, his words as much of a concession as Hephaistion knew he would receive from his friend.

"Yet since I too am Alexander, your orders are my own and so you cannot take full blame when things do not go as well as you would hope."

It was difficult for Alexander to maintain his disapproving scowl in the face of Hephaistion's cheerful grin. He was glad that the bruises he had received were fading and that those that had not could easily be explained away without increasing Alexander's guilt. In truth Hephaistion did not blame him. Since he was a boy Hephaistion had been trained to be a soldier and soldiers followed orders without any regard to their own personal safety. He would not hesitate to step in the path of an arrow or a sword point if it would save Alexander from harm. Even if it would risk his own kingdom, Hephaistion knew that Alexander would do the same. It was not conceit on his part, but a simple truth. A truth both he and Alexander would admit to the validity of.


	3. Legend

Sleep was long in coming. It was not discomfort that kept Hephaistion from Morpheus' realm for he had slept in far worse conditions than a tent in the middle of the Persian Empire. There were scouts all about to protect their defenses, but still Hephaistion could find no rest.

Finally giving up on any pretense of sleep, Hephaistion rose from his bed, donning a chiton and a warm fur-lined cloak to protect him from the chill before leaving his tent. Almost immediately he noticed the glow that stained the near wall of Alexander's own tent, light seeping out of the thin cracks between the edges of hide. Wrapping his cloak tighter about his body, Hephaistion crossed the small distance that separated their tents, listening a moment before he slipped inside. He had no desire to witness his beloved coupling with the Persian eunuch, the knowledge that Bagoas often shared Alexander's bed troubling enough. This night there was only Alexander.

"It is a wonder that you still require the scroll," Hephaistion mused once he saw what activity kept his beloved awake. "I would wager that by now you know the tale better than Homer himself."

A slight flush tinged Alexander's cheeks but he did not look up from his copy of the_ Iliad._ "It is not a matter of knowing the text. It is to see this tale written out centuries after the events have passed into legend. Do you think that one day people will look back upon our lives and wonder at the truth of our tale?"

"They wonder at our tale even now," Hephaistion was quick to say. "We are doing what no Greek before us has. The world will remember you forever and you will stand beside Achilles in the next life and be proud."

"And what of you, Hephaistion? Does Patroclus not deserve to stand beside Achilles?"

Smiling softly, Hephaistion inclined his head towards Alexander. "Patroclus would do as Achilles wishes. He has no other desire."

"Then Patroclus will ever stand beside Achilles because Achilles has no other wish," Alexander murmured, holding a hand out to his blue-eyed general.

After dropping his cloak, Hephaistion linked his fingers through Alexander's and allowed himself to be guided down onto the bed. The scroll was set aside moments before Hephaistion found himself sprawled next to Alexander on the simple camp bed. It was a testimony to their intimacy that they could fit comfortably together on so narrow a bed. Legs twisted together, arms wrapped around torsos and foreheads touched together, it was difficult to tell just whose body ended where.

"Achilles forgets that he would conquer the world," Hephaistion whispered, touching his fingertips to Alexander's cheek. "That wish overrides all others."

Alexander shook his head, the motion brushing his nose against Hephaistion's. "I swear to you that it does not. All of the glories in the world count for nothing if you are not by my side. This has ever been our dream, Hephaistion. _Ours._ We will pass into legend together, side by side just as Achilles and Patroclus did."

Alexander's eyes were wide, far seeing, even though he was looking directly into Hephaistion's face. The older man could only guess at what visions Alexander saw in his mind. The world never appeared in Alexander's mind the way it did in many others. Alexander only ever saw a world yet to be united with that which he already knew. Hephaistion himself only received glimpses of it on rare occasions, but he did not doubt that Alexander would see his dream realized and be worthy to stand alongside his ancestors.


	4. United

The pain was unlike anything Hephaistion could recall experiencing before. He had spent days moving about like an old man, bruised and battered from a day in the wrestling pit. There had been many cuts and gashes while still learning the finer points of swordsmanship and still more when he had seen his first battle. The pain that he felt in this instance was entirely new. It was not unwelcome. Shifting about, Hephaistion attempted to place as little pressure on his buttocks as possible, eventually resigning himself to the fact that he must change position entirely and roll onto his side. The one fault with his was that Alexander's head still rested on his chest. He could not move without risking the possibility of waking his lover. It was no hardship as Hephaistion was content to enjoy the moment as it existed despite his discomfort.

There was just enough of a tilt to Alexander's head that Hephaistion could glimpse the contours of his face. Dark lashes brushing the upper swell of cheeks, narrow sharp-edged nose, lips relaxed in slumber. Alexander was truly beautiful in sleep. Every care gone, every ambition forgotten. Sleep granted Alexander a peace he could not find waking. A peace that Hephaistion was honest enough to admit that he could not grant.

"I am afraid that I will love you too much and that you will be taken from me" Alexander murmured, his eyes still shut.

Hephaistion furrowed his brows. "Why would I be taken from you? I certainly would not leave you of my own free will."

"No, but others could try to take you from me" Alexander clarified, his eyes slowly blinking open. "My mother is one who would see you gone. My father as well, I am certain."

"I matters not" Hephaistion answered simply. "I will not be parted from you. Taken or not."

Alexander lifted his head so that he was able to rest his chin on Hephaistion's shoulder in order to see his face. "I believe you would try, Phaistion."

Hephaistion furrowed his brows. "You doubt my ability to succeed"

"I fear that our lives will mirror those of long past" Alexander corrected him. "Neither Achilles or Patroclus was lacking in ability and still one was torn from the other."

"You are destined to be greater than Achilles. Of that I have no doubt. You will be a king greater than your father and any of those who came before him" Hephaistion insisted, believing fully every word he spoke.

Alexander merely smiled, touching his forehead to Hephaistion's. As their eyes held, an array of emotions passed between them. Messages that would be undecipherable to any save themselves.

"My mother cannot know of this" Alexander said sometime later as sleep came to claim them both. "She would remove all those she deems a threat to her power over me... I will not be her puppet."

"I will not allow it either" Hephaistion swore, his eyelids heavy, but his voice adamant. "If it takes my life's breath I will keep you free from her control."

On the very edge of sleep, Hephaistion could not be entirely certain, but he heard a half whispered reply of"Nor will I allow you to fall for my sake. Not if it is in my power to prevent it."


	5. Achilles' Vulnerability

Even after the sun had set in Babylon it was still too hot to endure lying beneath the almost gossamer thin sheets of what had formerly been Darius' bed. The writhing bodies atop it were even less likely to require the use of the sheets. Gasps and moans echoed throughout the airy room, a new setting for a love that had existed for many years already.

Halting the movements of his hips momentarily, Hephaistion stared down at Alexander's flushed features. Sluggish eyelids were fluttering over dark eyes that Hephaistion knew saw more than what existed in the visible world. With his nostrils flaring, mouth open and panting, Alexander looked every bit the debauched youth. In truth he was the emperor of Greece and Persia, Darius' continued existence but a mere annoyance.

"You are teasing me, Phai," Alexander moaned, arching his hips plaintively.

"I am savouring you, Alexander."

The expression on Alexander's face was strange. Almost disbelieving. For the life of him Hephaistion could not decipher that look. Alexander should have no reason to doubt his love after all they had endured together.

"You are my sun, Alexander. My sun, my moon, and my stars," Hephaistion whispered, thrusting his lower body into Alexander's. "I will follow you until the end of my days."

"And I will follow you to Hades afterwards."

Many years of exploration had granted each man intimate knowledge of one another's bodies. Scars, blemishes, the movement of limbs and points that brought the greatest pleasure; Hephaistion knew all. Just as he was certain that Alexander knew the same of his body.

A short time later as they lay sated in each other's arms, Hephaistion trailed his fingers through Alexander's damp hair. Despite the heat at Babylon the two continued to lie pressed tightly together, legs entwined, breath mingling. It was almost by way of an afterthought that Hephaistion was aware of Alexander's toes brushing the lower part of his shins.

"I thought we had established that it was too much drink that brought on the laughter," Hephaistion yawned, winding his legs more securely about Alexander's to still the movement.

Alexander seemed startled by this and shook his head. "Your legs are longer than mine."

Hephaistion ducked his head down so that he was able to peer into Alexander's face. "A man's physical stature matters not for even the strongest might be brought down by a single arrow. It is the mind of the man that truly matters."

"Achilles was brought down by a single arrow," Alexander mused aloud, his gaze drifting away from Hephaistion's.

"My point exactly. You are strong because you will yourself to be so and not because you have the physicality of a titan. And because of that you will endure throughout history alongside Achilles."


	6. After Guagamela

The pain made his arm feel leaden. When he had first received the wound he had dropped his sword the pain was so sudden. He had retained enough sense to bring his shield up and prevent a second blow from ending his life. His shield arm took a battering, the blows falling so hard that it shook his entire frame. Crouching down, Hephaistion's numb fingers searched for his fallen weapon and found only sand. For a brief moment Hephaistion feared that he would fall victim to the Persian soldier. He received several more hits to his shield, his arm thrumming as a result of the numbing blows.

It was the errant spear of another soldier that saved his life. His opponent was struck down by another and Hephaistion was able to use the time granted him to search out his own blade. Some strength had returned to his right arm by then and Hephaistion was able to hold onto his sword for the duration of the battle.

The effort proved to be a fruitless one because he could not rouse his sword arm above his waist. The battle itself did not last much longer since Darius had fled before Alexander's fury. When it was over Hephaistion saw to his men, allowing his arms to be taken, but not for a physician to see to him until all of the soldiers in his command had been cared for.

Night was falling when Hephaistion finally allowed himself to be cornered in his tent by one of the physicians. There had been very minor casualties among his men and, as he was learning, among the army as a whole. He was relieved in large part for Alexander's sake.

"Phaistion!"

Hephaistion looked up, startled by the sight of his blood-splattered lover. He jerked his arm, earning him a stab in the arm from the physician, Glaucus.

"Watch yourself, man!" Alexander shouted as he stalked across the distance that separated them.

Hephaistion placed a hand on Alexander's arm when he made to strike the terrified physician. "Easy, Alexander. The fault is mine. I moved when I should have remained still."

"Finish your work and leave. I will see to the rest," Alexander ordered, glaring at the man Hephaistion was preventing him from striking.

Hephaistion did his utmost to refrain from reacting further as Glaucus continued to stitch the wound on his forearm closed. The task was made easier when he asked about the state of the army, something Alexander could talk about with great ease. Alexander was so thoroughly distracted that he only realized that the physician had finished when he began packing up his supplies.

"I will leave him in your care, my king," Glaucus murmured as he sidled towards the exit.

"And now I am in the care of Alexander the healer," Hephaistion said quietly when his lover remained silent. "So what course of treatment do you prescribe, my lord?"

"Let me see your arm."

Hephaistion laced his arm in Alexander's hands, startled when the man bowed his head to place a tender kiss at the base of the wound.

"I am fine, Alexander. It is a minor injury," Hephaistion protested, raising his free hand to cup Alexander's cheek.

"Ptolemy said that he saw you on the ground bleeding and without your sword," Alexander whispered as he continued to hold onto Hephaistion's arm. "I feel a fool for overreacting, but I could not bear the thought of you being gravely injured."

"So I can tell, love. You are an utter mess," Hephaistion said quietly, brushing a fingertip along a streak of blood that darkened Alexander's cheek. "Come, let me bathe you."

"Phaistion, you're injured," Alexander protested which earned him a sharp glare from the man.

"I have a cut on my arm. That leaves another hand free to tend to you."

Alexander continued to protest, but Hephaistion merely ignored him. He retrieved a nearby basin of water and a cloth, lightly bathing Alexander's face. When his breastplate and chiton got in the way, Hephaistion carefully removed them. For his part, once his chiton had been removed, Alexander used it to tenderly wipe the blood from Hephaistion's arm, along with the other smears that covered his flesh. Neither spoke and Hephaistion could see deep furrows across the bridge of Alexander's nose.

"Darius is a coward," Hephaistion said, sensing Alexander's mood. "Were he a true king he would have faced you and not fled."

Alexander's eyes were directed towards him, but Hephaistion knew that it was not him that his friend saw. "I saw him. Saw the fear in him. As far back in the lines as he was and still he feared me. How could such a great man know fear?"

"He knows that a far greater man has come to conquer him," Hephaistion murmured, cupping Alexander's cheek and drawing the man back to the present. "Darius recognizes that he will not retain his empire so long as you desire it."

Alexander blinked once, his dark eyes focusing directly on Hephaistion. "Do you fear me as well?"

"I fear for you, but I do not fear you," he whispered, the pad of his thumb ghosting across Alexander's cheekbone. "While I do not doubt that you are the son of a divine being, you are still mortal. I worry that there will come a time when you will force yourself beyond the boundaries that your body can endure. I do not know what I should do then."

"You would stop me from such an act," Alexander said quietly, learning forward to touch his forehead to Hephaistion's.

"And if I am no longer there?"

Alexander startled, his body moving apart from Hephaistion's and stared at the older man with wide eyes. "Do not speak to me of such a thing. We will grow old and raise our sons together. We will live to be old men, beyond the foolishness of youth."

Hephaistion remained silent, knowing that such things could not be guaranteed. Alexander followed the example of Achilles to such an extent that Hephaistion feared he would die young just as the hero had. He did not care if his life span was linked to that of Patroclus, only that Alexander be allowed to live. He had an empire to build and that could not sustain itself if Alexander was not there to hold it together.

Hephaistion framed Alexander's face between his palms, drawing their heads close together. "I will not allow myself to be willingly parted from you, my Alexander. The gods will have a long struggle should they attempt to separate our fates."

Before his very eyes relief lightened Alexander's features. "That is good because I do not think that I could do this without you by my side. This is our dream and either both or neither of us will see its completion."

"Then so it shall be."


	7. A Friend's Betrayal

There was a great commotion in the camp. Hephaestion had been prepared to ignore the ramblings until he heard one of the archers say to a companion that the king was dead. In that moment all of the breath was stolen from his body and he staggered, his vision going suddenly dark. Composing himself quickly, Hephaestion rushed through the maze of tents to the area where Alexander's was located.

A crowd was gathered around Alexander's tent. Most of them were talking and Hephaestion could only hear disjointed voices, fragments of sentences that only added to his fear.

"... dead..."

"Dymnus was the one to plan it."

"One of his Companions..."

"... spies..."

"... knew he'd be vulnerable."

Hephaestion shoved his way through the crowd, desperate to see Alexander's body. He would not believe that his beloved friend was dead otherwise. He could not believe it. Alexander came from divine heritage. He could not be killed so easily by those who were supposed to be closest to him. He was not meant to share Philip's fate.

"Stand aside," Hephaestion growled as he forced his way between two infantry men.

Alerted to his presence now, a path was cleared for Hephaestion to the very entrance of Alexander's tent. Before he even reached the entrance, Hephaestion glared at the guards who stood on either side, daring them to deny him entrance. They merely inclined their heads, pulling back the edges of the tent flaps so that Hephaestion could enter unhindered.

There was no one in the smaller receiving room of the tent, but he could hear voices from within the bedchamber. Ptolemy, Cleitus, Cassander, Craterus, and a few others all speaking at once, but not the voice Hephaestion most wanted to hear.

"Enough!"

Alexander's frustrated shout came at the same moment Hephaestion burst into the bed chamber.

"Thank the gods," Hephaestion murmured, his eyes sliding shut as he recited a silent prayer. Eager as he was to reassure himself that his fried was unharmed, Hephaestion remained at the very edge of the group watching Alexander who was seated hunched forward on a stool.

"I will not have us jumping to conclusions," Alexander insisted, his voice strained and wary. "Proof is needed before he can be charged with anything."

"Then allow us to hunt out those truths," Ptolemy insisted as he paced behind Alexander. "If Philotas was involved I would know it. It is better to uncover his treachery now than allow him to make a second attempt on your life."

Hephaestion was startled by the accusations against Philotas. He had not had not thought him foolish enough for such an act. He had more to gain with Alexander alive than there would by his death. He was one of Alexander's closest intimates and would have become lord of a great territory. His future had been set and it was pure insanity for him to have thrown it away. So when Craterus and Coenus volunteered to be the ones to extract more information from Philotas, Hephaestion stepped forward as well.

For a moment it appeared as though Alexander would refuse him that right. The younger man stopped himself in time, aware that to do so would be an insult to Hephaestion. It would have been more troublesome in the long run for even if Alexander had denied him, Hephaestion would still have been a part of the torture of Philotas. Philotas had been one of them, trusted, and Hephaestion meant to make him aware of the magnitude of his transgression even if it meant drawing Alexander's disapproval down on himself.

So Hephaestion took part in torturing Philotas, taking his vengeance upon the man who had so nearly allowed Alexander to be taken from him. Laws be damned, had the conspiracy succeeded Hephaestion would have personally killed Philotas and any other who had had a hand in the murder.

With all of the activity it was not until after Philotas' execution that he found himself alone with Alexander. Envoys had already been sent to Parmenion to deal with his part in the plot, and it was simply a matter of waiting for news.

The instant they were alone, Alexander hurried across the space between them, his hands coming up to frame Hephaestion's cheeks. "I did not want you involved in this. Especially not in that."

Hephaestion brought his own hands up, placing them overtop of Alexander's. "Philotas risked your life. Involved in this plot or not, he risked your life by not reporting it and that is unacceptable."

"My dear Hephaestion," Alexander murmured affectionately, drawing the taller man's head forward to place a kiss to his forehead. "Would that you were ever by my side then no harm would ever befall me."

"That is a great burden to bear," Hephaestion sighed, a frown turning the corners of his lips. "And I fear that I would be unable to protect you from all threats. I am only one man."

"Yet you are a great man."

Hephaestion remained silent, but in his mind denied Alexander's words. The younger man did not view him as others did. Hephaestion knew that he was seen as nothing but a hanger on, one who used his relationship with Alexander to advance his career. He did not doubt that even some of those closest to them believed the very same thing. Philotas had been one such person and Hephaestion would add Craterus, Cassander and Cleitus to that list just as quickly. Craterus and Cleitus, though, had each earned their positions by being excellent fighters and defenders of Macedon. It was because he was Antipater's son that Cassander had been raised to his current rank so his words were of little consequence.

"You worry again," Alexander chided as he moved across the room to fill two goblets with wine.

"I cannot help it," Hephaestion defended himself. "I live in fear of the day when I will be told that you no longer walk this earth. You dream of such greatness and in all the legends the truly great men are always struck down in their prime. Look at Achilles, your ancestor. He was given a choice between a long, unremarkable life and one that was short and violent"

"And one in which his deeds would be remembered for thousands of years," Alexander finished for him, handing Hephaestion one of the cups.

Hephaestion stared into the depths of the goblet, watching his reflection ripple. "And while I wish you that everlasting glory, I am equally selfish as well for I would rather have you by my side until we are old men than share your exploits with the world."

"But with our glory we will live on forever, beyond this life."

Hephaestion raised his head and saw that Alexander had moved across the room and was seated upon the bed, his fingers ghosting over the surface of a box that Hephaestion knew very well.

"You are worthy of your heritage," he assured Alexander as he moved across the room so that he was standing before his friend. "But just remember how easily Achilles was struck down. Paris was not a threat but he was still able to kill Greece's greatest warrior."

"Philotas was never a threat to me."

"I will not argue with you about this," Hephaestion sighed, sliding his fingers through Alexander's bright hair. "Philotas has been dealt with. The others now know that you will not tolerate any disloyalty."

Alexander leaned into Hephaestion's touch, his lips curving upwards slightly. "At least I know that you will never betray me."

"Never."


	8. Breakfast of Chicken and Wine

His insides were fire, his skin frozen, and nowhere could he find comfort within his own body. He arched against the mattress, pushing at the sheets that were bunched at his waist. In the next instant he was chilled and wanted the blankets back. Hephaestion cried out softly when a wet cloth was touched his forehead.

"Hush, love."

Moaning, Hephaestion attempted to turn into the hand that was now pressed to his cheek. It was as much of a struggle to open his eyes even enough to glance out under his lashes. He saw a glint of red and gold and then a hand. With every ounce of will he possessed, Hephaestion struggled to lift his own hand, searching out Alexander's fingers. Alexander caught up his hand before he was able to lift it from where it lay on his stomach.

"Rest, Phaestion. You will not become well if you do not rest," Alexander murmured, leaning in close so that his lips brushed against Hephaestion's cheek. "I mean to leave for Arabia in a few months and I need you by my side."

"Xand..."

"Hush." Alexander's lips ghosted across his own. "Glaucus says that you need to rest. So please rest. Sleep. I want you well."

Hephaestion did not even have it in him to nod. His eyes had already drifted shut again. He tried to remain focused, listening to Alexander's voice as he began to recite passages from the Iliad. Hephaestion could hear Alexander's voice catch when he spoke of Achilles' love for Patroclus and wished for all the world that he wasn't the cause.

He slept for much of the next few days and whenever he awoke Alexander was there. Filling cups of water for him to sip from, touching his forehead, and speaking softly to him, more urgently when pain racked his system. At other times, when he was still mostly asleep, Hephaestion was aware of Alexander's angry shouts directed at the doctor, demanding that he make Hephaestion well.

All of the lights were very dim when Hephaestion came awake long enough to be aware of what was occurring around him. Shifting uncomfortably, he glanced around and immediately saw Alexander dozing on a chair next to his bed.

"Xander..."

The word had not yet died on the air when Alexander bolted to attention, scrambling from the chair to instead sit on the edge of the bed. In his hands was a cup of water which Hephaestion drank from greedily, his throat afire with dryness. "Gods, Hephaestion. When they could not tell me when you would waken again I could not help but fear the worst."

"I am feeling better," Hephaestion whispered, his voice scratching.

"You look it."

Coughing from the continued dryness in his throat, the left corner of his lips twitched upwards momentarily. "I look affright. As do you, though your excuse is lacking."

"I would not have been anywhere else," Alexander insisted, his fingers ghosting over his hairline. "The city can function a few days without my interference. I would have been of no real use in any case."

"What of the games you planned?" Hephaestion asked, furrowing his brows.

"This afternoon, but they are of"

"No," Hephaestion forced out, coughing once again as a result. Once started he could not stop and the tightness grew across his chest. His chest continued to spasm, his body hitching, even after the coughing had stopped. Hephaestion was utterly exhausted when he was at last able to lie still and could not coax out any words to assure Alexander.

"If you had meant to convince me of going to the games, you have just undone your argument," Alexander murmured, leaning in close.

Hephaestion managed a brief shake of his head. "Go."

"Rest then. I will have Glaucus come and check you over in a few hours and if he deems you well enough I will attend the games," Alexander conceded with a sigh.

Hephaestion relaxed further into the pillows and cushions, unable to keep himself awake any longer. He woke briefly later when Alexander returned with the doctor, insisting once again that his friend should attend the games he'd organized.

"I will come to you as soon as I can manage."

"I will be waiting here."

His appetite returning, Hephaestion had his young page fetch him something to break his fast. It had been several days since Hephaestion could remember having eaten and he had been ill enough over the years to know that food in his stomach would help him to regain his strength. There was a feast planned for later in the week and he intended to be there.

The chicken went down easily enough, but after an hour or so, Hephaestion felt a fire burning in the pit of his stomach. He tried to sleep it off, but it was not working. He could not sleep for the pain. He could not even think, his entire body enveloped in it. In a few, desperate moments, he regretted having sent Alexander away to the games. Trying to relax availed him nothing, and soon, remaining conscious was a difficult challenge. He was dimly aware of a great deal of commotion in the room, shouting and panicked voices. But no sign of Alexander.

He tried calling for Alexander, but no one seemed to hear him. Then he was gasping for breath, his chest tight and his limbs leaden. When it had been more than a minute since he had taken a full breath, Hephaestion began to share in their panic. He scanned the room frantically for any sign of Alexander, but saw only a flurry of motion. Then he could not keep his eyes open, the sounds blurring together in the darkness.

"HEPHAESTION!"

Hephaestion no longer fought against what he knew was inevitable. 


	9. Moment's Respite

"This is pure bliss," Alexander moaned as he sunk deep into cool water. Small waves lapped at his shoulders for but a moment before he immersed himself completely in the water. There were a few rose petals stuck in his hair and to his shoulders when he resurfaced and his face appeared relaxed from all the tension Hephaestion knew was building up inside him.

Reclined on a nearby couch, Hephaestion was content to watch, knowing how Alexander cherished his baths. When they were children Hephaestion had often wondered if one of Alexander's parents were not some water deity or a descendent of Poseidon he spent so much time in the water.

"Join me," Alexander entreated, holding a hand out in Hephaestion's direction.

Unable to deny his lover anything, Hephaestion rose gracefully from the couch. Rolling his shoulders briefly, his robe slid soundlessly from his body to pool at his feet. He unknotted the matching cloth that was wrapped around his hips, setting that aside before stepping towards the sunken tub in Alexander's own private bathing chamber.

Taking hold of the fingertips that were still outstretched towards him, Hephaestion allowed himself to be guided into the tub. He shuddered immediately as the chill from the water infused his heated flesh. It was welcomed after the dry heat of Babylon that Hephaestion had yet to grow accustomed to. When he reached the last step of the small pool, Hephaestion allowed his knees to buckle, plunging under the water in a single motion. Alexander's hands were on his hips immediately, attempting to pull him upwards even as Hephaestion willed his body to sink into the water.

"Phaestion," Alexander gasped once his head bobbed above the surface.

"You are correct. This water is most certainly pure bliss," Hephaestion murmured, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Sputtering momentarily, Alexander then lunged at Hephaestion, once again forcing him beneath the surface. They splashed about as boys then, each trying to wrestle the other under water. Alexander was laughing in a way that Hephaestion had not seen since before Philip's assassination. Since he had become king, the other man had been unable to find much time to relax. Hephaestion did what he could, but the duties of kingship were ever consuming Alexander's days and nights.

When at last they were laughing too hard to do much but weakly battle the other away, Hephaestion found himself seated on one of the steps that led into the bath, Alexander straddling his lap.

"I have missed this," Alexander sighed, dropping his head down so that his forehead rested against Hephaestion's shoulder.

His fingertips tracing idle patterns about the small of Alexander's back, Hephaestion could only nod his head, a shudder suddenly overtaking his frame. "We should stay in Babylon for a time. The men could use the chance to rest. So could you."

"We will need a few months to regroup and figure out what our next move will be," Alexander said, his voice strong and decisive even as he lay against Hephaestion. "Darius is still alive and as long as he lives I will never truly be king of Asia."

"I intend to see that you allow yourself a chance to rest as well," Hephaestion insisted. "You have not slowed much since you were last ill. Conquering this vast empire would be pointless if you were not well enough to rule it afterwards."

"I can give you tonight," Alexander conceded, yawning into Hephaestion's shoulder. "There is too much else that needs to be done."

Hephaestion nodded silently, pressing a kiss to Alexander's temple. He stopped trying to keep himself on the steps, allowing the water to buoy them and drift them where it would. Hephaestion found it utterly relaxing; the water below him, Alexander above him. Lifting one arm from where it rested around Alexander's hip, Hephaestion fanned his arm out, toying with the rose petals that littered the surface of the water. Hephaestion was unable to stop a shudder as Alexander laved a stripe along his throat and found himself under water as a result.

Fumbling about to get his feet under him, Hephaestion was sputtering by the time he righted himself. Alexander was still pressed against him, wiping the water from his face. He was laughing as well, his body vibrating with mirth.

"It appears that we do not float quite as well as I had hoped," Alexander smirked, wiping a few errant petals form his chest.

"We sunk like stones, you mean," Hephaestion chuckled as he drifted back towards the steps. "And I was under the impression that you were part water sprite."

"Very amusing, love," Alexander said dryly, once again straddling Hephaestion's lap. "My mother is hardly the water nymph Achilles' was."

"I would fear to travel the rivers if she were," Hephaestion mused, chuckling when Alexander squeezed his knees on either side of his hips. "Do not look at me so, you know there is truth in my words."

"Well there is no need to be smug," Alexander countered, deftly rising to his feet in a single motion.

Alexander was now standing with his feet on either side of Hephaestion's legs, forcing the other man to lean back so that he could still see Alexander's face. "I was hardly being smug, beloved. I was merely stating a point. Now perhaps you would be so kind as to choose a direction. Either into the water or out, for standing there you are only tempting me."

"I was unaware that you could be tempted."

Hephaestion's response was to nuzzle the area where Alexander's thigh and groin met. The blond shuddered, a gasp escaping his lips when Hephaestion turned his head just enough to laze his tongue along the side of his shaft.

"Gods, Phaestion," Alexander moaned, his thighs quivering.

"As you can see, I am tempted," Hephaestion repeated, tilting his head back so that he was able to meet Alexander's gaze.

Taking control from him, Alexander allowed his body to fall backwards into the water. Hephaestion dove after him, latching onto Alexander's sides and pulling their bodies together. There were bubbles escaping Alexander's lips so Hephaestion covered the blonde's lips with his own, sharing his air. Still under water, they fought for dominance in the ensuing kiss, twisting about as their hands attempted to cling to slippery flesh.

At last a need for air forced them above the surface, sputtering and blinking, and refusing to end their embrace. There were a few errant strands of hair plastered to his face and Hephaestion shook his head in an attempt to move them. That it was not working frustrated him for he was unwilling to release his hold on Alexander. Instead he sucked in a lungful of air and leaned back as far as he was able, sinking his head under the surface. When he stood back up, the hair was gone and Alexander grinned at him before leaning in to begin another kiss.

"I have rose petals clinging to me in the oddest of places," Alexander murmured against Hephaestion's lips when the need for air pulled them apart.

Hephaestion chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "I do believe that boy of yours was trying to seduce you."

"Why would he do that? He knew I meant to spend the night with you."

Hephaestion remained silent about his own suspicions. He knew that he would not always be present to comfort Alexander and did not begrudge him another shoulder to lean upon. Hephaestion knew that his absences would not lessen his place in Alexander's heart. Hephaestion lifted a hand to play with the longer strands of hair at the base of Alexander's neck, tipping his head forward so that their foreheads touched, noses brushing.

"Come, I believe I saw some food set out in your bedchamber," Hephaestion whispered, kissing the corner of Alexander's lips.

Alexander squeezed Hephaestion's hips briefly, but allowed himself to be guided from the sunken pool. Hephaestion glanced over his shoulder, smiling to show that he would do nothing more than Alexander would permit. It was a fine line that they often walked, Alexander craving emotional intimacy over the physical. Hephaestion did not mind, wanting Alexander to be happy above all else. It allowed him to savour the times he and Alexander did make love and to crave simply being close to the other man.

Long after night had fallen, Hephaestion remained awake, watching over Alexander as he slept. Exhaustion tugged at his own eyelids, but Hephaestion forced himself to remain awake, enjoying every twitch and murmur as Alexander slept unaware of his continued attentions. It was near sunrise when Hephaestion finally allowed himself to give in to his body's need for sleep. He relaxed in comfort, Alexander's body resting against his own as they laid arms and legs entwined.


End file.
